Motivation is essential for college students that want to be successful

by commentnewspaper
Ryan Melia
Comment Contributor

“How do I succeed in college?” It’s safe to say that the majority of students have asked themselves and others this question. But when you strip down the complex strategies and overused rhetoric, the real answer to success is motivation.

As someone who spent the majority of his high school career as a slacker, I can honestly say that I never once dreamed of writing an article on how to maintain academic motivation. However, through my many mistakes, I’ve been able to pick out a few tips and tricks on how to make your beginning-of-the-school-year-motivation last for as long as possible.

Firstly, contrary to popular belief, deadlines can actually be a good thing! Invest in a large calendar and cross off the days until a concert, the day that you get to visit home, a party, or just a day that you’re looking forward to. This will help you break out of the seemingly never-ending cycle of school/work, and allow you to create a reward system for your tenacity.

If you ever feel overwhelmed, it’s important to remember that everything in the universe is temporary and eventually comes to an end. Take a deep breath and step back from the situation. Everyone can feel overwhelmed at times, but these situations are always temporary.

Setting goals is one of the most important steps when building up motivation, simply because there’s no real reason to push yourself when there’s no destination to reach. If you just want the diploma, then nothing is stopping you from sleepwalking through all of your classes (trust me, I have a lot of experience when it comes to this) and doing the bare minimum to just get by.

Similarly, if you are ever feeling unmotivated or stuck, take a minute to ask yourself why you’re going here. If you want to “make bank,” then put a picture of that million dollar house and red Ferrari on the wall of your dorm.

People sometimes can miss out on opportunities because of the choices that they’ve made. Though we as college students all like to have fun, nothing can kill your motivation for success quite like being distracted by alcohol or drugs. There are plenty of other ways to have fun without partaking in these dangerous and illegal activities.

What are the real keys to a successful life in college? Though there are many factors that can determine success, such as work ethic, keeping up with deadlines, setting realistic goals, and staying organized, we can all be a little bit more successful in the end.

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